EXPLANATORY REPORT / INFORMATION NOTE

This report scrutinises the individual clauses of the Convention, their raison d’être, how they took shape in the drafting — where this is relevant to understanding them — and how they may be applied. In this, the report may be of assistance to those States that are considering whether to ratify the Convention or to accede to it. (Arabic, French)

International trafficking in cultural property is an increasingly universal problem, affecting, to various extents, even countries traditionally seen as “importing” countries and necessitating international regulations (binding and non-binding). Consequently, UNESCO recommends its Member States to consider for ratification, possibly at the same time, both the UNESCO (1970) and UNIDROIT (1995) Conventions.